Author: Matthew Groff

  • Short Story Review: “Annunciation” by Lauren Groff

    (The short Story “Annunciation,” by Lauren Groff appeared in the February 14th & 21st, 2022 issue of The New Yorker.)

    First of all, I am not related to Lauren Groff. Second, this is the first short story by her that I have read. And it was a good one to start with. From the first paragraph, I felt like I was on a journey, and was being guided by a person who knew how to unfold a story. If you haven’t pieced it together, I liked this story, and I am suggesting that you should read it. For that reason, I will forgo a synopsis of the piece, and give my reflections on it.

    Lauren Groff crafted a well-made short story. As it unfolded, I didn’t know where I was being taken, but after I finished, I could see the structure that held the story up. The opening, narrator development, introduction of characters, seemingly random incidents, rising action, climax, resolution, and even a denouement, which not too long ago I was complaining about the use of denouement in short stories. I mean, the title tied in to the denouement, as well. But the structure wasn’t the only admirable quality of the story.

    What I loved reading was about this narrator who was not perfect, who did struggle, and was still struggling. A person who had these moments, anecdotes even, that represented the life she led, and she still found herself thinking of these people, and the mysteries that never will be solved. And, this was a personal favorite of mine, the narrator was literary person without being a writer character. I fully believed that she was introspective, empathetic, and aware of the small details of the world she inhabited.

    But it was the theme, the through line, of motherhood that ran through the story that impressed me. Though I didn’t catch it as I was reading it, the denouement captured, and focused the theme for me. It made me reevaluate each of the women in the story, their form of motherhood, and how they are viewed or appreciated by their children for what they do, or have done for them. This theme of motherhood didn’t fit neatly in a box, meaning that I didn’t feel the story was trying to say motherhood is “this way.” Mothers are all over the map; good, bad, wonderful, awful, secretive, open, all different and yet the same, somehow. And for some, motherhood takes a toll.

    That makes the story sound dark or overtly complex, but I found myself optimistic, and hopeful at the end of the story. Lauren Groff created a journey in this story, so we all came out on the other side different from this experience. I liked the world that this story is in, and the characters who inhabit it. Stories like this leave me feeling inspired; that short stories can express truths, and have weight. That they are worth reading and creating.

  • Selfish with My Time

    This past Friday, I mentioned that I had seen a listing for a theatre job that I was interested in, but wasn’t sure if I should apply for. I was going to take the weekend and think about it, but most likely, I was going to submit a resume no matter what, because what do I have to lose.

    Well… I totally forgot about the job. I mean, we did have a busy weekend with Friday movie night, and a birthday party on Saturday afternoon, and then there was the Super Bowl, and by the time Monday came around, we were back in the swing of the week.

    Then this morning, as the wife and I were walking back from the gym (you read that right) she asked me if I sent in my resume for that job. Thus, why I can say I forgot about the job as that was the first time I had thought about it in three days. First, I might not be real “into” the job if I forgot about it. Second, and I told my wife this, I really don’t want to give up my time with our daughter. I don’t like being in debt and feeling stuck, but I’m only going to get one chance have this time with her, and I don’t want to give it away to people who don’t deserve it.

  • Super Bowl Reflections

    I like football, and I also happen to be the worst kind of football fan; a Dallas Cowboys fan. So, for those two reasons, I watched the Super Bowl, but didn’t enjoy it. (In fact, the real Super Bowl was Kansas City v. Buffalo. Am I right?) Good for LA, but if it went the other way, I would be saying good for Cincinnati, right now.

    The only thing that made this Super Bowl memorable was that my daughter was excited about it. Not that she cares about football, though she did try to sit through a quarter for the purpose of trying to understand how to play the game. Her conclusion; too many rules.

    Now, what the kid was really excited about was the gluttony, commercials and the halftime show. The gluttony part made sense because Thanksgiving is our family’s favorite holiday. We made guacamole, and queso with Ro-Tel and Velveeta. We had hot wings, nachos, and mozzarella sticks. The kid was not impressed with any of the commercials, and I have to agree. They used to seem inventive, but the commercials feel predicable; the “surprise” celebrity cameo, the quirky comedy, and ya-da ya-da. As for the halftime show, the kid thought it was cool, and I agree with that. What I took away from the show was that rap and hip-hop are now embedded in American mainstream culture.

    And when it was all said and done, it was just okay. I know a good part of that had to do with not having a team to root for, but the other side of it was that the whole thing felt removed from what is happening around this country. Like it was living in another fantasy world where everything was normal. I am aware that was what the NFL was trying to sell everyone, but it also felt a little hollow. Maybe that’s what makes the Super Bowl such an American holiday; it’s fun if you don’t look too hard at it.

  • ODDS and ENDS: Job Hunting, St. Ann’s Puppet Lab, and Super Bowl Halftime Show

    (Stuff and other stuff.)

    This morning as I was doing the Alt Side Parking Dance, waiting for the sweeper to go by, on a whim, I decided to see if there are any theatre job openings in the City. For the past year, anytime I looked for a theatre admin job, it just ended up turning my stomach. But, I also know that we are just getting by financially, and getting ahead would be a better situation to be in. Hence why, on a whim, I decided to see what was out here. And I saw something that didn’t turn my stomach, and was also kind’a right up my alley. I’m now thinking about submitting my resume. If I did get the job, it would mean a huge change to the life we have been leading for the past two years. But, getting out of debt would be nice. I don’t know yet. I’ll take the weekend to think it over.

    One thing that I do need to get on top of is figuring out if I can make it to St. Ann’s Warehouse for Puppet Lab next weekend, 2/17 to 2/20. I got friends who run it, and I also got friends who are in it. That right there makes it totally worth going. Then, there is the fact that I haven’t seen a live show in three years, which I would like to remedy. A long, long time ago, I took part in a piece in the Puppet Lab – I think it was the first theatre gig I got when I moved to NYC – so I have a soft spot for this series. The Puppet Lab is a two-year program where puppet artists create and develop work with support from the people in the program, as well as St. Ann’s Warehouse. The performances are the culmination of this long process, and showcases inventively creative and experimental puppet works. Shows like this I find exceptionally inspiring.

    And this year, we will introduce our daughter to the world of nachos and hot wings, commercials and halftime shows. But most importantly, she will learn that Prince’s halftime show was the greatest halftime show of all time. It’s a fact.

  • Habits (Unedited Draft)

    As I start new habits, I seem to be failing at the old ones. The new habit of going to the gym, has been going okay, as I have gone twice now, and accomplished my goal of going on Tuesday and Thursday. The wife joined me on both days at the gym, and she’s being doing yoga every day this week as well. So, she’s taking this more seriously than I. In fact, today, she told me that it’s okay for me to go to the gym by myself, that I don’t have to wait for her. I took that to mean that I need to go to the gym more.

    Also, we did okay with thirty days of not drinking, which means that that we didn’t drink during the week. So, that got a mix result. We are going to continue the process of cutting back on our drinking, after the Super Bowl weekend. We do have junk food plans for Sunday; wings, nachos, mozzarella sticks… gorging mainly. Beer and bourbon will be involved as well. Not that we care about the game. I’m here for Snoop Dog and the commercials.

    The old habits that I am failing on is writing. Normally, I journal every weekday, but for the past two weeks, I have been only getting on two days. Also, I haven’t been working on any new material. Yesterday, I forced myself to go to the local library and write for an hour. It wasn’t the easiest work, but I got about 500 done. I fear that I am losing the drive to work. To actually make the time and follow through. It’s like the thing I want to do most, I let myself get the most distracted from.

    Either way, I’ll try again.